Highlights from my week

On my birthday last week Jac took me out to breakfast and then drove me to work. We went to Kettle Cafe in Lathlain.

Jac had the steak sandwich (more like a burger as it came in a sesame seed bun) with a nice piece of Black Angus (120 grams) cooked medium, with beetroot relish, blue cheese and egg (AU$21), served with a mini cast iron pan of fried potatoes. Jac loved the inclusion of blue cheese. The sandwich was extremely messy to eat, with the soft egg yolk and beetroot relish oozing out with every bite. They should seriously serve this thing with a bib :P PS. The meat wasn’t bloody – that was the beetroot relish.

I ordered the hickory smoked mushrooms with poached egg and labne on rye toast (AU$18). I spread butter and labne on the rye toast and loaded it up with the mushrooms, which were juicy and well seasoned. It was a great breakfast and the coffee was good too – I’ll be happy to return to Kettle and I’d even order the mushrooms again. But next time I’ll make sure I get bacon too.

At work, my team mates organised a birthday morning tea for me, which was a lovely surprise. We grazed on the leftovers throughout the day. Overall, it was a busy but not too bad day, thank goodness.

Jac and I had talked about going out to dinner on my birthday night – my choice, of course. I had a short-list of maybes, but in the end, didn’t feel like sitting through the formality of restaurant service. I chose casual dining and comfort food at PappaRich.

Jac had Pappa assam laksa (AU$15.50).

I ordered one of my favourite/regular dishes from PappaRich – chicken congee with steamed chicken (AU$13.90).

When we were two-thirds into the laksa and congee, I ordered roti bom (AU$8.90) for dessert, as it takes a little while to be cooked. One of the best things about eating roti bom is unravelling the layers of crisp, flaky pastry. I reckon this is one of the only times it’s OK to double dip – first the condensed milk, then the sugar.

Wednesday night we had dinner in the city before heading over to Perth Arena to see the Dixie Chicks. We saw them the last time they came to Perth, back in 2006. We sat outside on the balcony at Sassella’s Bar & Bistro, looking out onto Murray Street mall. At Sassella’s it’s table service for drinks, but you place your order with the chef at the kitchen and pick up the food yourself from the pass when it’s ready. The food’s nothing fancy, but it’s a decent feed. On Wednesday night the place was empty, so we didn’t need a reservation – and service was fast.

Jac ordered the salt and pepper calamari, which was very tender, served with salad and aioli (AU$23).

I ordered the chicken tenderloins with mushroom sauce, salad and fries (AU$23). It was a generous serving of nicely grilled chicken with a tasty mushroom sauce and well salted shoestring fries.

We shared a Caesar salad (AU$19). I’m not such a big fan of hard boiled egg in a Caesar, but other than that it was an excellent Caesar.

The Dixie Chicks were fantastic. I loved the use of graphics / animation on the big screen in the background. Just like in 2006, I was awestruck by the musicianship of Emily, Martie and the backing band.

I used my phone camera to take some pictures during the concert. They’re not the best, but good enough for mementos of the night.

Warning: a grumpy old fogey’s comments…

I don’t get the need for a support act – it just drags out the night unnecessarily, which is just a killer on a midweek night for the people who can’t take the next day off work. The doors opened at 7pm, the support act (Avalanche City, not their fault, but I had zero interest) was onstage from 7.30pm to 8.15pm, then change-over took another half hour, with the Dixie Chicks scheduled to hit the stage at 8.45pm. Frankly, I’d rather not pay for / waste time on a support act I have no interest in seeing. (Support act as opposed to a double-billed / multiple-billed show)

There should be separate sections for people who want to stand up and/or dance, and for people who are happy to stay seated. The conflicting expectations and different ways in which people want to experience/enjoy a concert really don’t work so well when they’re all mixed together out in the middle of the floor.

I also hate the concept of the encore. It’s a meaningless ritual that I wish we didn’t have to go through. Like the support act. Just play the set. The end.

Those gripes aside, I really enjoyed the Dixie Chicks. I just hope it won’t take another 10+ years to see them here again.

Finally, the playlist:

DCX MMXVII, Perth Arena, 5 April 2017
Started 8.53pm

Taking the long way
Lubbock or leave it
Truth No.2
Easy silence
Some days you gotta dance
Long time gone
Something in the air (Thunderclap Newman)
Top of the world
Goodbye Earl
Travelling soldier
Florida (Patty Griffin*)
Daddy lessons (Beyoncé)
White trash wedding
Bluegrass medley (instrumental)
Ready to run
Mississippi
Landslide
Cowboy take me away
Wide open spaces
Sin wagon

Encore:
Not ready to make nice
Better way (Ben Harper)

Finished 10.55pm

*Note: Truth No.2 and Top of the World are also Patty Griffin songs that have been on Dixie Chicks albums. Florida, however, has not been featured on a Dixie Chicks album to date.

This morning (Sunday), we packed a picnic and went to Point Walter in Bicton. It was such a gorgeous day to be outside for a picnic brunch and Pokemon walk.

We had cold chicken (pan fried by Jac this morning), potato salad, hard-boiled eggs, cheese slices, bread and butter and bananas. Jac even packed me a sachet of soy sauce to go with white pepper on my hard-boiled egg – she knows me well!

The week’s highlights

Kettle Cafe
23 Lathlain Place, Lathlain
(Terrific cafe, terrible website)

We’re regulars at PappaRich in Westfield Carousel. They’re also in Northbridge, Cockburn and Joondalup.

Sassella’s Bar & Bistro
Carillon City Arcade Upper Level, 207 Murray Street, Perth

I’ve blogged about family get-togethers at Point Walter before:
Bacon and egg brunch
Family Christmas 2012

Have a good week, everyone!

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